Andrew Coshan's feet are happier than usual at the moment.
The 22-year-old Dunedin tap dancer has been dancing with joy, having just been selected to study at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth.
During the past four years, he has appeared in many local productions, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat, Les Miserables, Hairspray, Mamma Mia and Phantom of the Opera.
But now, he wants to take the next step and study for a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in musical theatre, for the next three years.
He was one of 20 to be selected to study at the prestigious academy from 400 applicants.
One of its former students is Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.
While the degree will enhance Mr Coshan's tap dancing, he said it would also boost his singing, dancing and acting skills to "industry'' level, which he hoped would help him get a foot in the door of professional productions on Broadway in New York, or the West End in London.
"That's the end goal.''
Mr Coshan said his passion for tap dance was discovered relatively recently.
Experienced in contemporary dance and hip-hop, he only started ballroom dancing and tap two years ago.
"I've done a lot of sports and I've always been quite co-ordinated, so other kinds of dance came quite naturally to me.
"But tap was way more of a struggle.
"I think I really enjoyed learning to tap because it's quite an un-natural motion.
"The kind of motions you do with your ankles isn't the kind of thing you would normally do, unless you were specifically tap dancing.
"It marries music, or percussion specifically, to dancing, which makes it more of an aural and visual performance, rather than just a visual performance.
"It's given me a new-found respect for Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.''
Mr Coshan will head to Perth at the end of January.